Since Prime Minister Netanyahu revealed the Iranian nuclear archive, the world has found various ways of responding. Alongside the determined response of US President Donald Trump are voices in Israel and abroad seeking to downplay the information as old and irrelevant to the current period.
Arutz Sheva discussed these comments with the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, MK Dr. Michael Oren, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States.
"They are making a big mistake," stated MK Oren. “Old material? A country that keeps an archive of sketches of a nuclear bomb - intends to use the same sketches again. Iran didn’t keep that archive for nothing. They intend to use that material.”
"Iran has also left 62 scientists who worked on that same nuclear program, which wasn’t for peaceful purposes but for war, in nuclear energy positions ostensibly for peaceful purposes, such that the exposure here indicates Iran's intention to go back and build atomic bombs after the expiration of this bad agreement in another 7 years.
"The very fact that the archive is being kept is a flagrant violation of the agreement, according to which Iran had to reveal all the components of the atomic bomb, including the drawings.”
In Oren's view, it is clear that the goal of the world in describing the archive as outdated is solely to avoid the obligation of changing or cancelling the agreement.
"This is completely clear. Thankfully, the Americans hate being suckers and are not prepared to move on when the Iranians are lying to their faces. Trump, according to the White House spokeswoman, addressed the current nuclear program, and that reflects reality. This country has a plan, and it’s waiting for the expiration of the agreement.”
In light of the cold European response, Deputy Minister Oren was asked what else Prime Minister Netanyahu could do to persuade the Europeans to bring about a change in the terms of the agreement with Iran.
"It is possible to simply go back and elaborate on the amendments we want. At the moment there is a preference for amendments over the cancellation of the agreement. This doesn’t mean outrageous amendments, but sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program, which is, at the moment, outside the scope of the agreement. Europe needs to impose heavy sanctions on their intercontinental missiles."
"Second, we need to ensure that the international inspectors can reach any site in Iran. The fact is that they did not reach this archive. The third thing is to delete those clauses which state that by 2022 the terms of the agreement will be dissolved. It is forbidden to leave such a clause with such a murderous jihadist regime. The Europeans must also recognize these facts and do something that I think is simple."
Deputy Minister Oren was also asked, as someone in constant contact with the US administration, how the people close to Obama and John Kerry relate to the exposure of the information that presents them as being deceived by the Iranians.
"They say that ‘we were not naive, we knew that the Iranians were lying, and that is why we need an agreement according to which inspectors can enter for the most intrusive visits,’ but there are some problems with their answer: Whoever looks at pictures from the agreement-signing ceremony in 2015 - everyone who signed there had a huge smile, and nobody smiled more than Mr. Kerry. It’s hard to imagine a situation in which they knew they were signing with a lying regime and were excited about the agreement, that they thought this agreement would change Iran’s behavior. They erred one hundred percent.”
Oren called to take a look at a map of the Middle East and see the territories occupied by the Iranians before and after the agreement, and identify "a difference of day and night."
"They occupied parts of the Middle East because of the agreement, with the money the Iranians received after the agreement and the legitimacy they received in the agreement," he said, adding: "This is huge damage that has cost hundreds of lives, and they are still smiling. Whoever signed this agreement, which expires in another seven years, acted with too much naivete. It borders on something criminal, not only regarding Israel and the Middle East, but regarding the entire world."
Oren also commented on PA Chairman Abbas’ statement according to which the Holocaust was not a result of the Jewishness of the Jews, but rather of their conduct.
He said that, following the remarks, Israel must “Greatly doubt whether this is a partner in any future context. I expect European condemnation. This is the same Europe that does not miss an opportunity to denounce us. The UN envoy who condemned us harshly for what’s happening in Gaza did not condemn Abbas’ most anti-Semitic statements at all."
"In the best case, Abbas said what he did as one who is old and not healthy, but in the worst case this is what he thought throughout the years, this is what he believes and this is his doctorate. His anti-Semitism is deeply entrenched in him, and the fact that the Palestinians didn’t stand up and condemn the statements also needs to concern us.”